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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · court · wave · squash · vault · bowl · pitch · mate

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mate — to breed
  4. court — for sport
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mate — a partner
  8. court — of a king
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mate — a friend
  23. court — of law
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com